Greater Boston Collaborative Food Access Hub Distributes 1.7 Million Pounds of Food in First Year

The YMCA of the Greater Boston Collaborative Food Access Hub marked its first anniversary by highlighting progress in reducing hunger and addressing food insecurity.

The Hub is a collaboration among the YMCA of Greater Boston, the City of Boston, Mass General Brigham, The Greater Boston Food Bank, and Liberty Mutual.

During a news conference on Monday, Nov. 17, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the Hub has distributed about 1.7 million pounds of food, approximately 1.5 million meals, since its launch last fall.

According to a Daily Free Press report, part of the Hub's food distribution system involves recovering food that would otherwise be discarded and providing it to families. Wu noted that the Hub has recovered and sent 62,000 pounds of produce and 20,000 pounds of food to families in need.

David Shapiro, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston, hopes people benefit from the “dignity, proximity, and innovation” that the Hub offers.

“We took an old Amazon warehouse and turned it into a place that makes the food system work better for people without necessarily the capital to get that food,” Shapiro said in a statement shared with The Daily Free Press. “Ultimately, we need to take the lives of those who are uncertain about their own economic situation and make those lives easier, not harder.”  

The impact of the Hub comes at a time when Boston remains deeply affected by food insecurity, with nearly half of residents impacted in 2024, according to Wu.

Mass General Brigham pediatrician Elsie Taveras, who spoke at Monday's news conference, underscored the widespread scale of food insecurity and called the situation unacceptable given regional resources.

Taveras noted that Mass General Brigham has invested more than $9 million into local food distribution systems. This amount includes more than $3 million over five years to the Hub.